Aerial cable cutout



y 1949' A. G. STEINMAYEIR AERIAL CABLE CUTOUT Filed March 10, 1947 a Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A. G. STEINMAYER 4 AERIAL CABLE cu'rouw MN LL July 5, 1949.

Filed March 10, 1947 July 5, 1949.

Filed March 10 1947 A. G. STEINMAYER AERIAL ,CABLE CUTOUT 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 "Mul INVENTOR.

Patented July 5, 194@ AERIAL .GABLE CUTOUT Alwin G. Steinmayer, Milwaukee, Wis, assignor to Line Material Company, Milwaukee; Wis, a

corporation of Delaware pp i ation Ma ch 1947, Ser al 5 35 3 '2 Claims; (01. 17i9) This invention relates to cutouts and is particularly directed to a cutout construction for an aerial cable.

The present trend in electrical distribution is towards the use of what is called an aerialcable in which one or more cables are bound together by metal tapes or other means and are supported from a messen er wire so that these cables may be passed through trees without danger and also so that they will occupy a smaller amount of room on "the supporting poles." In addition .to this, there are, of course, many other advantages which do not concern the present invention. However, it is desirable at times to tap a single cable and to install a cutout for that cable. Heretofore it hasbeen necessary .to use a considerable amount of additional equipment in order to accomplish the above. This invention is designed to provide a cutout construction which is particularly suited for use with an aerial cable and which is so made thatit is not necessary to cut the cable at all but merely requires the stripping of a small portion of the insulation from the cable and the clamping of the exposed portion of the cable directlyto one of the terminals of the cutout structure, the stripped portion being fully housed and protected from the weather.

In greater detail, further objects of this invention are to provide a cutout construction for an aerial cable which is so made that the cable is arranged to be passed through slots in a pluglike member or closure member which is bodily inserted together with the cable into the housing of the cutout and which completes or closes the correspondingportion of the housing, and in which means are provided through the front of the housing for giving access to clamping means for clamping the unbroken cable to the upper terminal of the cutout, such clamping serving e i fectively to lock both the auxiliary member or plug'iandthecable'inplace.

Further objects are to provide means in the form or an auxiliary plug having relatively short slots for the reception of 'thecable and having projecting sleeve-like portions which are adapted to be taped .to the cable so that when the pluglike member is in place and the cable locked to the upper terminal of the cutout, there is very little exposure of the remaining portion of the slots, thus preventing the entrance of birds into the housing and' also discouraging the entry of insects into the Housing at this portion of the structare v.

Further objects are to provide an aerial cable 2 cutout which is of simple construction, which is very easy to instalI, and Which provides access not nly to the totem itself biit also to the 1m ing' means forltlie snares portion of the cable.

Embodiments or the inilfifltioli ar'shown' in the ac DmD YihEId Wi SS i wh ch Figure 1 is a'front man ras cutout and the adjacent portion of vthe table showing them attached toapolel' Figure 2 ma side eleyation of the structure showninFigure 1'. W

Figure 3' is an enlarged yieyv partly in section with parts broken awaypi the up er portion of t p.

Figure (l is a sectional yiew on the line 4 t of g 3.

' Figure 5 is .a side View 91 the upper portion of the cutout with'the p1 and Gable removed.

'E au'r 6 s a iew correspond ng t0 Fi ure ,4 showing a further torm ofltheinvention. Fig'ure 7 is a sideelevation of the upper portion of the strtetn esndwn in Figure 6, with taping omitted on the nee, "side of the figure for the sake or" ,c earnessfi Referring'te the drawings, particularly Figures 1 through Qit'will'be 's n that the cutout com:- prises a housing I of 'cela'i'n or other suitable insulating material in red with a door Z'of insulating material hingedl'y mounted as indicated at 3 in any suitable" manner as, for inst'ahde, shown n th enumerates t am to William O.- chultz. No Re- 22372 o eptembe 7; 1943 for? Fuse. The housing is s pported from the pole 4 in any u tabl manli rasb mean b 1 We 'et structure-indicated eneral at aerial cable is indicated ge nera y at 6 an may omp ise a plur ity 16f v x l l; 8.; and ',9 which are supportedfrom a messenger wire I}; by means of metal tapes I]; The cables l, 8,' and9 ar wist d e ih is'eisecu e to e a d e mess n r 'wi e' 1 'isfsppp r ec by mea 10 a bracket I2 secured to'th'e" pole. When it is desired to tap one of the cabl'esfsuch cable is untwisted r moved downwa ly r m e ai e e s as shown in Figure 1 and a portion thereof has t e i la i n efiierli 't heie ye v a barred portion [3, see Figure 3. This"bared portionof the cable'is received slots 14' extending nwardy' fr m e he h t nf P th ea id e plug-like member l5 formed of insulating mate'- rial. "This plug like member l5"isigenerallybf rectangular construction with downwardly projecting legs provided with the slots ifan'd is adapted tober rioved dowhwardlyinto the slotted portion [E of the as shown rnost'clear ly in section in Figure 4. The plug-like member or auxiliary closure member 15 may be provided with overhanging lips I! which are grooved and receive upstanding bafiles or ridge-like portions I8 formed integrally with the body portion of the housing I, to thus prevent the entrance of water from the top of the housing.

It is to be noted from reference to Figure 3 that the plug-like member 15 is provided with projecting sleeve-like portions I9 which also have continuations of the slots I4 formed therein. These sleeve-like portions l9 are tapered outwardly and are adapted to be taped to the cable 1 as shown in Figure 3. This taping also serves to close a portion of the slots [4.

It is to be noted that the slots M are short and consequently there is no chance of birds entering the housing I through these slots and their small size greatly discourages the entrance of insects at this portion of the apparatus.

The cutout construction is provided with an upper terminal assembly indicated generally at 20, see particularly Figure 4, which includes a conducting member 2| having integrally formed cable contacting portions 22 and guiding lips 23. C-clamps 24 are arranged to clamp the bared portion 23 of the cable to the portions 22, as shown in Figure 4, and the screws 25 of the C-clamps pass loosely through the guiding portions 23 and are threaded into the body of the C-clamps and bear against the cable contact portions 22 of the upper terminal assembly. This upper terminal assembly is also provided with a pair of spring lips 26 which receive between them the cap or upper terminal 21 of the drop-out fuse construction, which may, in turn, comprise a fuse tube 28, the cap 21 previously described and a fuse link indicated generally at 29, the fuse link normally serving to restrain the fuse tube against drop-out motion as described in detail in the above noted patent to William O. Schultz. The upper terminal assembly may also comprise a spring finger or contact portion 30 which bears against the upper terminal 21 of the drop-out fuse tube. The fuse tube 28 is slidably carried in a lower terminal member 3!, see Figure 2, which, in turn, is carried by the door 2. The lower terminal 3| on the door is engaged by spring fingers 32 of the lower stationary terminal 33, which latter is secured within the housing I as shown in Figure 2, and receives the load conductor 34 as set forth in greater detail in the above noted patent to William O. Schultz. The arrangement is such that when the fuse link 29 is ruptured on overload, the fuse tube 28 is released and drops downwardly, thus moving its upper terminal 21 downwardly away from the upper stationary terminal assembly 20.

It is to be noted particularly that when the parts are in their assembled position that the cable is locked to the upper terminal assembly and thus, in turn, locks the plug 15 against upward motion.

Further it is to be noted from reference to Figure that it is a very simple matter after the cable has been positioned within the slots M of the plug [5 to insert the plug directly downwardly into the slot l6 of the housing I and to thereafter open the door 2 of the housing to provide access to the screws 25 of the clamping means or C-clamps 24 carried by the upper terminal assembly.

The invention may take other forms; for example, as shown in Figures 6 and '7, the plug 35, though quite similar to the plug [5, is provided with downwardly and outwardly slanting lower faces 36 and the housing I has similarly shaped adjacent coacting portions. Also the plug 35 may be provided with side flange-like portions 31 and 38 which may extend down as far as desired on the sides of the housing as shown, for instance, in Figure 7. Also it is possible to omit the baffles or ridge-like portions I8 as shown in the first form of the invention if this is desired.

It is to be distinctly noted that the baflles l8 could be used with either form of the invention and the side flanges 3'! and 38 could also be used with either form of the invention.

It will be seen that a novel type of cutout construction particularly suitable for aerial cables has been provided by this invention in which a very simple means is provided for receiving the unbroken cable and for insertion into the upper portion of the housing of the cutout assembly. It will also be noted that when the parts are in their final assembled position not only is the cable locked in place and electrically connected to the upper terminal but the insertable pluglike member is also locked against removal.

While the device has been illustrated and described as used for a single phase tap on a three phase cable, it is clear that three devices could be employed if three phase service is wished for the branch line. Also it is clear that the device could be used for a single cable as well as for a tap on a three phase cable.

Although this invention has been described in considerable detail, it is to be understood that such description is intended as illustrative rather than limiting, as the invention may be variously embodied and is to be interpreted as claimed.

I claim:

1. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having an opening in its top wall, a closure member having slots arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor and arranged to be inserted with the unbroken line conductor in the opening in the top wall of the housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, said closure member having a cutaway portion to accommodate said fastening means, and a door for the front of said housing.

2. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having an openin in its top wall, an insulating closure member having slots arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor and arranged to be inserted with the unbroken line conductor in the opening in the top wall of the housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, said closure member having a cutaway portion to accommodate said fastening means, and a door for the front of said housing.

3. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having a transversely extending opening in its top wall, a pluglike insulating closure member having outwardly projecting sleeve-like portions and having slots arranged in the sleeve-like portions and in the body of the closure member and arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor, said pluglike member being arranged to be inserted together with the unbroken line conductor in the transverse opening in the top wall of the housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, said plug-like closure member having a cutaway portion to accommodate said fastening means, and a door for the front of said housing, said door being arranged to provide access to the fastening means of said upper terminal.

4. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having a transversely extendin opening in its top wall, a plug-like insulating closure member having outwardly projecting sleeve-like portions and having slots arranged in the sleeve-like portions and in the body of the closure member and arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor, said pilug-like member being arranged to be inserted together with the unbroken line conductor in the transverse opening in the top Wall of the housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, and a door for the front of said housing, said door being arranged to provide access to the fastening means of said upper terminal, said plug-like member interlocking with said unbroken line conductor when said unbroken line conductor is secured to said upper terminal, whereby said plug-like member is locked against withdrawal from said housing.

5. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having a transversely extending opening in its top wall, a pluglike insulating closure member having outwardly projecting sleeve-like portions and having slots arranged in the sleeve-like portions and in the body of the closure member and arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor, said pluglike member being arranged to be inserted together with the unbroken line conductor in the transverse opening in the top wall of the housing with the sleeve-like portions projecting outwardly beyond the sides of said housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, and a door for the front of said housing, said door being arranged to provide access to the fastening means of said upper terminal, said outwardly projecting sleeve-like members being tapered to approximately the size of said unbroken line conductor and being arranged to receive tape, whereby said sleeve-like members and said unbroken line conductor can be taped together in a uniform and smooth manner.

6, A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having a transverse slot extending through its top and side walls and extending from one side wall directly across said housin to the other side wall, an insulating closure member having outwardly opening slots arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor and arranged to be inserted together with the unbroken line conductor in the slot in said housing, an upper stationary terminal having fastening means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, said insulating closure member interlocking with said unbroken line conductor when said unbroken line conductor is connected to said upper terminal whereby said insulating closure member is locked against withdrawal from said housing, and a door for the front of said housing.

7. A housing for a cutout construction arranged to normally electrically connect to an unbroken line conductor comprising an insulating housing having an open front and having a transverse slot extending through its top and side walls and extending from one side wall directly across said housing to the otherside wall, an insulating closure member having outwardly opening slots arranged to receive the unbroken line conductor and arranged to be inserted together with the unbroken line conductor in the slot in said housing, an upper stationary terminal havin fastening: means for electrically connecting the unbroken line conductor to the upper stationary terminal, said closure member having a centrally located cutaway portion to accommodate said fastening means, and a door for the front of said housing arranged to provide access to said fastening means.

ALWIN G. STEINMAYER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 830,585 Graves et al. Sept. 11, 1906 Re. 22,372 Schultz Sept. 7, 1943 2,114,745 McCluskey et a1. Apr. 19, 1938 2,281,515 Ruggieri Apr. 28, 1942 

